


The Jasmine Dragon Warriors

by saturnsmoons



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Politics, Ba Sing Se, Eventual Romance, Fights, Gen, Japanese Culture, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Martial Arts, Mixed Martial Arts, Multi, Political Alliances, Ramen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27272059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saturnsmoons/pseuds/saturnsmoons
Summary: Katara and Sokka move to a new life in Ba Sing Se. The first place they venture out to is The Jasmine Dragon Dojo- What awaits for them there? Training to become some of the greatest martial artists the world has ever seen.Throughout their training, they meet a boy who is a prodigy in multiple martial arts, a warrior who is as passionate about equal rights as she is about fighting, a tough young girl who is often underestimated because of her disability, and a moody teenage boy who happens to be the heir to the enemy dictatorship...Together they become a rag tag team of warriors and in the process lead a revolution to political freedom.
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Suki (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Ozai & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Suki (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Katara
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. The Dojo

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo this is my first official written work (outside of school hehe).. so please be nice :D.. I've tried to get the characterization as canonically correct as possible in a modern setting..  
> Also, this first chapter is not so action packed because I do have to lay some ground work down first!
> 
> -disclaimer- there will be some influences from real world politics in this fictional universe as well.

Its 7:30 a.m. and Katara is sitting on her bed, tying up the laces of her Chuck Taylors when she hears Gran Gran call her and Sokka from downstairs- “Kids, breakfast is ready!”.

She couldn’t believe it- her first day of high school already, and she was finally going to be an ‘adult’ like Sokka- well more of an adult than she already was anyway. Preparing meals, doing household chores, helping when Gran Gran was gone for work- were all her responsibilities. And it wasn’t that she didn't enjoy helping out- she did- but she also wished she could do more than what was expected of her.

Katara finishes putting her outfit together and looks in the mirror- Gran Grans handknit amauti made the perfect finishing touch to her casual outfit for the breezy autumn day.

She admired the blue on white embroidery and thought of her mother who had worn it before her. She sighs and makes her way down the stairs of the apartment and towards their small dining table in the center of the kitchen.

She smiles as she looks at her plate of berries and bannock bread in front of her with a side of suaasat soup. “Well are you gonna stare at it all day or are ya gonna dig in, Katara?” Sokka says, barely audible, chewing a bite of bread. “Close your mouth when you chew please” she scolds him, rolling her eyes. Although he was older age wise, she constantly had to keep reminding him of proper manners in public, and at home.

Although her family and people from her tribe had relocated to Ba Sing Se after being pushed out by the Fire nation military forces, Katara missed her home in the South Pole. She knew each of them had left a little piece of themselves back there.

She missed her father the most, who had stayed to fight for their people’s rights to the land as chief..

Sokka had left his girlfriend, Yue, and Gran Gran left her whole lifetime- Katara knew she had never left the south pole due to having many responsibilities, including raising children and taking care of other members of the tribe.

As much as Katara loved her grandmother and appreciated everything she did for her, she couldn't help but see how the years had worn her down. Her face was long and her cobalt eyes looked dull under the dim kitchen lighting. She wondered, if things had worked out differently, what would Gran Grans life had been like? Would she be doing something perhaps more exciting with her life- and suddenly Katara thought _Am I seeing my own future play out before my eyes?_ -

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Gran Gran says “Katara, I am not saying it again, come here so I can braid your hair”. She quickly finished her flatbread and walked over to the corner where her grandmother was standing and she slumped in the chair in front of her. “ I thought we agreed I could do my own hair today, Gran Graaan” she groaned.

“You're not grown up enough to be doing your own hair yet, sis”, her brother says with a smirk. “Shut up Sokka” she retorted. “Just let me do it for today, Katara, you know I wont get to see you out for school often”. She says as she tightly pulled Katara's long curly hair and began braiding.

***

TRYOUTS FOR KARATE, THIS WEEK

Aang knew as soon as he saw the flier for the Jasmine Dragon Dojo, that he wanted to try out for karate after school. He may only be in the sixth grade, but his skills in the martial art were easily of competitive standards to any teenager with an advanced belt.

He was quick on his feet, and clever- so any sport that required mental focus and stability intrigued him. And since he had grown bored of the after school chess club, he thought that this would be the best opportunity for him to meet new friends and stay active! Although he would not say it outright, with the recent passing of his uncle Gyatso, he felt a little uneasy spending too much time at home.

This did not mean that he was left unattended- no, his uncle’s friend, Pathik flew in from Eastern Temple City in order to see that a minor had a proper legal guardian.

He also had his support dog, Appa who he took with him most places. Appa, a Tibetan mastiff who helped him out with his anxiety and was an overall very loyal and helpful companion .

“Today is going to be a good day”, he said as he smiled at his reflection in between the tattered fliers on the Jasmine Dragon glass doors. He looked down at Appa, who was looking up at him, wagging his tail and almost smiling back at him - tongue out and all- “right, boy?”. Appa wagged his tail some more.

***

Zuko was kneeling at the traditional dining table, anxiously waiting for his father to come out of his study, when he hears his sister walk out instead.

He looks up surprised.

“Zuzu, father says you are not going to come to school with us this year, he has other plans for you instead” she says looking down at him, with a hand on her hip.

. He stands up quickly, nearly knocking over his bowl of rice and miso soup off the table. “What?! I thought he just wanted to talk about grades”.

She side eyes him, smirking “Well since it seems like you can't seem to keep those up and even managed to get yourself into multiple fights, father thinks it's a good idea for you to not go to school at all, see how things work out?” she said slyly, crossing her arms.

Zuko looked down at himself. What was he supposed to do? He was already wearing his school uniform- button down, slacks, blazer and all.. almost identical to his sisters - minus the skirt of course- and now he was expected to not go to school ? “Step aside” he said wryly, while walking over to her “I’m going to talk to him”.

“He doesn’t want to see you” she responded “remember what happened to you the last time you disobeyed him?”. Instinctively, he held up his hand to his left eye- the scar.

He recollects and tries to swiftly grab the door handle anyway- but she quickly blocks with her own arm-

“Trying to outsmart _me_ , dear brother, think again..I’m only doing it for your own good”. But even as she says it, she all but stifles a laugh

She inches closer ti him- "I think we both know who the favorite child is, and it's certainly not the one with a _scar_ on his eye" she whispers before she turns and walks out the front door.

Zuko turns and looks at the wooden doors of his father’s study and hangs his head

“Why me, _why_ _again_?”

***

Katara sighs when she gets on the bus after school- it had been an overall unproductive first day.

Yes, she had learned a bit, but it was mostly teachers going over the syllabus and droning on and on about how they were there to help the students achieve their goals, blah, blah..

Long story short, the most exciting part of her day was conversing with her algebra teacher about joining the debate team over her lunch period.

She slides into a seat in the front of the bus, places her backpack on her lap, and stares out the window.

After a few minutes passed, she pulls out her phone and textsSokka: _Where are you? Hurry up!!._ A few seconds later, a reply- _I'm not taking the bus, I have a thing…_

ugh, what could he possibly be doing? it's the first day, she thinks-

 _I’m going to the martial arts tryouts downtown._. he types back.

With that message, Katara bolts out of the bus, almost knocking over other students. “Sorry!” she yells back.

She runs over to the only place she thought she could find him- his locker- and sees that he was still in his gym clothes from the day, a Polar Dogs tee shirt jersey from back home, basketball shorts, and Vans.

He's stuffing his backpack with his history textbooks and closing his locker, when Katara says, slightly panting “there..you..are”. She rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath. “I didn't say you needed to come with, Katara” he greets her.

“I know..I just wanted.. to make sure..”

He laughs, “You might wanna catch your breath first”.

She quickly composes herself. “I need to know you're not getting yourself into any trouble- for Gran Gran’s sake”.

“Relax, sis I’m just going to try out for the coolest sport out there. You don't need to come, plus it’s just going to be a bunch of guys fighting each other, i’m sure girls like you don't want to see that kind of thing anyway”. He says swinging his backpack around his back.

“What do _you_ know what I like, maybe I’ll even want to try it out as well”. Katara snaps back.

“Yeah, sure...you, ok” he scoffs and turns to walk away.

“Well too late., I’m coming with!” She yells and runs over to him.

***

Sokka could not wait to walk into that dojo and try out something new. From all the stories he had heard about the city kids throughout the day, _that_ was the place to be.

Anybody who wanted to be recognized as a proper athlete trained in the arts, and Sokka wanted to do just that. The only thing keeping him from doing it right, was his annoying little sister, Katara. He side eyed her for a second as they were walking. She had beads of sweat on her forehead from running to catch up with him earlier and she was holding tightly onto the straps of her backpack, as if it were to fall off her back.

“You know, you really could just turn around and go home if you wanted to,” he tells her.

“Not gonna happen, you're stuck with me, remember?”

Ugh, what a pain.

They finally reached the city bus stop and step on board

. Katara tries to grab seats at the front, but Sokka interjects, “Nah, I like sitting in the back”

“But-”

“Nope, my trip, my choice little sis” he says smiling cynically at her.

“Fine” she responds, with a scowl.

About half an hour later, they arrive in downtown Ba Sing Se, where they are greeted with a bustling movement of people around the bus station, but as they turn a corner everything slows down.

There are stretches of fields on one side and streets lined with ginkgo trees on the other, and they stop for a moment to take the scenery in.

“Woah”. They say unison.

Although they had been in the city of Ba Sing Se for over two months, they rarely had time to explore the means beyond the small quarters of the inner city that they were living in. It wasn’t any better, when their landlord, Ms. Joo Dee was constantly at their door, reminding them about rent dues and how to adjust to their new environment. But it was just -so- different from the kind of element they were used to in the South Pole, here there was a lot more green, and a lot less, well- _ice_.

Sokka pulled out his cell phone and typed in the address to the dojo on the maps app.

“.. _navigating._..” the little voice says.

“Where even is this place, I don't see a martial arts studio anywhere” Katara asks. “Well, let me see, the map tells us we’ve got to head down a couple streets and turn on Omashu way- and it'll be right there! See, little sister, aren’t you glad one of us knows how to read a map?” He grins down at her.

“Whatever, let's just get there so I can see what all this is about” she says rolling her eyes and turning her head the other way.

They do exactly as Sokka says, and sure enough, when they turn on Omashu way, they find a little plaza with a fountain in the center and directly in front is a sign with a faded green dragon and matching colored letters that read “THE JASMINE DRAGON: MARTIAL ARTS DOJO”.

The place looks a bit run down, but it's “homey” in the way that you would expect a mom and pop shop to be. In fact, all around the plaza are typical small owned businesses; a shoe shop, laundromat , and even a noodle shop next to the dojo. _Sokka figures that's the best place to head after working out_.

“Well, the Jasmine Dragon is the place to be, I guess” says Katara.

Sokka turns to her “Are ya ready to see me kick some Earth Kingdom butt??” he asks her.

“Are you kidding? I’m ready to see YOU get your butt kicked” she answers back. “When was the last time you actually fought someone? And no, getting into constant fights with me and Gran Gran doesn’t count”.

“Whatever” he scoffs. “Let’s go”.

They approach the Jasmine Dragon entrance, which has glass doors almost completely covered in homemade flyers advertising the tryouts, so they can just barely see the inside when they peer in.

As soon as they swing open the door, a little bell rings over their heads and they simultaneously look up. They quickly shift their attention when they hear a voice from the opposite side of the dojo.

“...huh you think you _can_ , city boy? How’s this for a rematch”, a girl exclaims from across the room.

They see her grab onto a boy using an underhook technique and swiftly flip him to the ground.

There's a grunt as the teenage boy of no more than 16 years old hits the mat with a thud and winces. Standing over him, the younger girl with short auburn hair looked down.

“I thought so,” she says matter-of -factly, as if she knew she was going to beat him anyway. Katara and Sokka stared wide eyed as a pair of deep hazel eyes looked back at them.

“Hi, welcome to the Jasmine Dragon!!” she yells over to them, smiling.


	2. The Sparring Masters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara and Sokka spend the day at the dojo, while Zuko has a dramatic meeting with his father that changes the course of his life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I made this one long... but I still have some story to build up :D
> 
> *disclaimer** I have added instances of violence in here, as well as political discourse that may make people uncomfortable- so read on at your own risk

Katara and Sokka just stare back and blink at the girl, oblivious to the fact that she had spoken to them. She had fair, white skin- like most of the Earth Kingdom people. This was in contrast to the darker tones of those in the South Pole, and Katara noticed was probably something that made her and Sokka stand out as outsiders in this unknown country.

The girl was wearing a green t-shirt that read “JASMINE DRAGON WARRIORS”, indicating that she either worked or trained at the location. She was also barefoot, evident of the fact that she had just sparred with her opponent. “Hi!, my name’s Suki” she calls out as she jogs over and bows. “Uhh, hi..” Sokka answers.

When they realize they must look out of place, the siblings hastily bow back to her.

“Oh uh.. You might want to remove your shoes at the door” Suki points over to the doorway, just a few feet behind them, where various pairs of shoes are laid. “It's just something we have everyone who comes in, do” she explains. 

  
  


There's a grunt at the opposite side of the room and the three turn to look over

.“..argh, Suki, next time warn me when you’re about to go all Kung Fu warrior -” the boy from the far side of the dojo calls out as he struggles to lift himself up off the mat.

“ Oh, sorry Jet!” Suki runs over to help him while she calls back to the newcomers “I’ll be right there, just sign your names in on the notepad at the front desk!”. 

They turn to the side to face the “front desk” near the entrance of the dojo- which is a plastic folding table and has only a legal style notepad with yellow binding and a black ballpoint pen on its surface.

Katara takes a moment to look around her surroundings- The inside of the building is much like the interior of a traditional home- completely wooden and separated into rooms via sliding fusuma panels. (She only knows this because she had heard grunting and yelling from another possible sparring match that was happening on the opposite side of the makeshift wall)

There were bamboo and camelia flower plants near the entrance by the front table, and posters written in traditional characters, that she assumed were ancient proverbs and words of encouragement to the martial arts students. She notices the dojo oddly smells like - _jasmine tea?_

Overall, It has a surprisingly “cozy” feel to it all. 

  
  


“Well, this should be fun” Sokka smiles at his sister as he signs his name on the notepad.

“Yeah, she’s totally going to kick your butt” Katara rolls her eyes back at him.

“Not so fast, little sister- she’s still a girl- I can easily take her down, no technique needed” He says, swiftly gesturing with his hands toward Suki and back to himself.

“Yeah just like that guy beat her too, huh” Katara crosses her arms and stares intently at her brother, narrowing her eyes and not believing a word he says..

Just then, Suki walks over to them, accompanied by the boy she had beat just moments earlier.

“Hi guys, sorry for running away like that- I didn’t get to introduce myself properly- I’m Suki, a _yundansha_ here at Jasmine Dragon, and this is Jet, he’s been here for a couple months, and is still learning”, she smiles teasing at him.

“Nice to meet you guys” he says as he bows to Katara and Sokka, and they mirror his action.

“I’m Katara, and this is my brother, Sokka” she gestures to her brother who only raised his left hand and says “..hey” as if unamused.

Katara looks over at Jet, who stands in front- and more than a head taller than her. He has longer hair that almost covers his eyes, and is sporting a tan- probably from being out in the sun He's clothed in black athletic gear and works on adjusting the bandages around his hands. To Katara, he seems _different_ than most of the boys she had met, and she wasn't only talking about in comparison to her obnoxious brother.

She wondered what made Suki call him a _“_ city boy”,.. 

Jet notices her staring and quickly looks back at her and smiles- which makes her cheeks grow warm, so she looks away instead. “ You guys aren’t from around here, are you?” Jet speaks out, then makes eye contact with Katara, which only makes her avert her gaze once more. 

“Nah, we’re from the South Pole, but we recently moved out here with our Gran Gran”, Sokka answers. 

The smile disappears off Jet’s face. “You guys were kicked out of your homes by the Fire Nation too, weren't you?” At this, Katara looks back up at him

“Yeah, how did you know?” she asks incredulously. “Lucky guess.. It happened to me and my family also when I was young, they came and completely tore down the city of Hanbin..” both him and Suki looke at the ground.

“...since then I’ve been on my own, mostly bouncing from place to place, until I came across the orphanage nearby and met Suki who told me about the Jasmine Dragon. Here, the owner ,Mushi Sensei, was able to take me in and provide me a place to stay, on the condition that I train at his dojo.” 

Katara empathizes with him, but doesn't know what to say to make him feel better.

“That’s terrible, Jet, I am so sorry”, she looks down.

“Don’t be, Katara. We all find ways to cope- mine and Suki’s is training here, and I’m assuming yours will be too” he smiles at her again. 

Meanwhile, Sokka looks for a way to lift the mood- “So... anyone up for a sparring match?” He looks over at Suki with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

That makes Suki’s eyes light up for a moment.

“Umm, do you have training? if you don’t, let me know so I can go easy on you” she says, while leading him onto the mat.

Katara and Jet look on with interest on the sidelines. Katara leans over to Jet and whispers, “This isn’t gonna end well”.

“It’ll be a miracle if he can beat _her_ ” Jet whispers back, smirking. 

“Nah, give me _all_ you got, Suki, I’m pretty sure I can take it coming from you. I’ve wrestled plenty of times with the other _men_ in the South”. 

_Wrong choice of words_ \- 

“What is _that_ supposed to mean? If you couldn't tell, I’ve beat plenty of _men_ before.” she gestures over to Jet.

“True... but you’ve never sparred with _me_ before” Sokka taunts raising an eyebrow, “ _miss blackbelt_ ” . 

With that remark, he takes a jab at her shoulder with his right fist, only for it to be enclosed within her own hand and and, and using a twist technique she brings him down- making that the _second_ time she has won over a male opponent today.

“Oww.. you didn’t have to go _that_ hard” Sokka whined.

She crouches down by him “First rule of martial arts: never challenge your senpai to something you can't handle”.

***

Zuko looks down as he tightened his grip on the kendo sword in his hand. Sweat drips down from the side of his neck, and his hair is matted to his forehead, but he continues to practice in order to perfect his technique.

He takes a step forward and raises the wooden sword over his head- striking an invisible opponent. 

He had been at this all day, in his practice room, waiting for his father to step outside his bureau so he could speak with him. Only- the sun was beginning to set and he had not stepped out once. Instead, strange men in black suits with briefcases had been coming in and out. When Song, the housekeeper, had asked what they were visiting for, they had only replied with “International affairs”. 

Zuko was not oblivious to the fact that his father had some dirty secrets when it came to “international affairs”...it had not been a month since he had heard that General Zhao, his father’s right hand official was instructed to overtake the Chief and his forces down at the South Pole. And he was now possibly planning another military takeover in the Earth Kingdom, to take down their democratic leader and replace them with a faux dictatorship.

True, these were all very real, and very relevant issues, but what mattered to Zuko at the moment was the chance to prove to his father that he was not second best to his little sister, Azula, and that he too, could make him proud. 

And even if he wanted to have a say in what his father’s political actions were, he couldn’t. Speaking out of term was an offense to his father as an elder, as well as the governing of the nation itself. 

Which is why Zuko spent his time perfecting his Kendo technique- a martial art much like Karate that incorporated the use of swords. 

Kendo had been a longstanding tradition in the Fire Nation’s royal family for many years, dating back to when the family was only an established monarchy in the Sozin era. The men in the family took over the Kendo practice and were _usually_ ranked best in the nation at competitions- 

That is- until Zuko had disappointed his father and fallen below the acceptable ranking. His sensei had only called him " _adequate"_ at the last annual Kendo competition. 

This was in contrast to Azula, who had taken up Aikido and become the first member of the royal family to take home the top ranking, much to Zuko's chagrin, yet surpassing their father’s expectations. 

That was the day Zuko had taken both the shame of his family and his country, as well as a hot iron skillet to the face, resulting in a scar surrounding his left eye. Both “deserved”, according to his father. 

And he believed it, of course he believed it. How else could he overcome his shame and prove to his father and his people that he was worthy of their acceptance and praise? 

***

‘Chief Executive’ Ozai looked down at the papers presented to him at his desk. There was an ominous feeling in the study, it was as if the air of impending doom had halted for a second and the men surrounding him held their breath. 

History was being made in the very room they were standing in, and even if they wanted to, they were given orders by Ozai himself to not speak. 

Ozai, the same man who had grown in the shadows of his father, Azulon and promised him that he would lead the nation into an era of peace and prosperity- was pulled by his own selfish desires to amass wealth and power by any means necessary, and was now the most feared _and_ hated man in the world. 

He was perhaps the only one in the room not wearing a black suit, instead he had opted for a traditional red samue, lined in gold sakura- representative of the colors of the country he ruled ( _dictated_ ) over. He had a bottle of Sake beside his left arm resting on the table, and was holding his initial stamp in his right hand, which had the imprint of two dragons encircling each other- the national symbol. 

The doors were locked to the study and the room was filled with smoke from the cigarettes the suit-clad men were smoking. The plans outlined in front of him detailed the coup his militia would pose on Prime Minister Kuei of the Earth Kingdom. 

The objective was to overthrow and gain control on the inside by having a Fire Nation official pose as their new dictator, and that way gain political control of the land _and_ the people. 

And they were not wasting any time either. The Fire Nation never wasted time on gaining power and control. Just a month earlier, they had infiltrated the Southern Water Tribe, which they planned to control in order to access natural resources and minerals- only a year after they had done the same to the Northern Tribe.

“This plan is quite well put together, gentlemen- you have my approval.” Ozai remarks. He looks around the room to see the other men with pleased faces and placed the plans back into the black briefcase.

“Let us go out to celebrate tonight- the Fire Nation will finally restore its rightful place as leader among nations.” 

***

Zuko hears the door of his father’s study creak open and puts down his sword. He reaches for a rag to wipe down his forehead and for his shirt in order to look presentable to his father. He placed his sword back on the hooks on the wall next to the others and rushed out the doorway. 

He turns the corner and runs down the steps, just in time to see his father walking out with an entire crew of the men clad in black. “Father!” He yells to him “wait, I need to talk to you regarding school!”

“What is it, Zuko?” His father answers solemnly, with his back turned to him, facing the outside.

“How come I was not enrolled in classes this year? It is only my second year at the acade- “

His father cuts him off, and slowly turned around to face him. 

“You are not going to school, because you are simply not learning. In fact, you haven’t been learning for quite a long time”. He slowly made his way over to his son, while a sea of men in black parted the way to let him pass. 

“No son of mine will be an embarrassment to the family or to the country” Ozai goes on inching close enough to Zuko. 

Immediately, Zuko kneels down on his knees in front of him. “I’m sorry father, I have done the best I can, and I will only do bet-”.

“Zuko, I wasn’t finished. I said no son of mine will only fail time and time again with no improvement. So do not call me father, because you are no longer deserving of the title as my son”. 

And with that, he turns around and walked back towards the doorway. 

Zuko lifts his head..”Father.. Please, I will do better- I’ll- I’ll make you _proud_ of me”. Ozai stops at the doorway to look back, face cold and unyielding. “I am leaving and not coming back for some hours. I want you out of this house by the time I return. Otherwise, you will have to deal with the consequences”.

With that, he walks out, followed by the group of men in black. 

Zuko brings his head to the ground and let his hurt and anguish consume him. 

***

“AARGh.. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!” Zuko cries, pacing around in his room, looking for a reason, a solution- _anything_ that would make his situation a little less sour at the moment. 

There was a knock at the door- “Yes?” he asks, and Song opens the door.

“Young master Zuko, I heard the news about you leaving, and was wondering if you would like some assistance”. She remains at the doorway, hands clasped in front of her. 

Song, the housekeeper, was one of the only people Zuko allowed to pry into his life, however, he did not enjoy it when she did so often. “I’m fine!- I just need to talk this over with my father, alone” He turns away from her. 

“Zuko, you know your father as well as I do. He is not one to come to an agreement with, especially when he has already made up his mind. You both are stubborn that way.” Song looks over to him with pleading eyes.

. She's a middle aged woman who had worked for the family ever since Zuko could remember- since the family was _all_ together and happy.

Zuko slumps his shoulders. “The truth is..I-I’m not sure what to do. My father wants me gone- he never wants to see me again, and on top of that, I have nowhere to go!” He dramatically falls atop his bed. 

“Might I suggest calling June, an old acquaintance of your mother’s? She is currently residing in the Earth Kingdom, but I am sure she would be happy to take you in as a guest.”, Song offers. 

Zuko lifts his head himself off the bed, resting on his shoulders. “June? You mean the Harajuku girl who would visit us every year on New Year’s feast only to take our food, make weird comments and leave?”. 

“That is the one, yes”. 

“Fine- if we have no other choice” he concedess. He did not have any other plans on where to go, and going to live in the Earth Kingdom could possibly mean he would have a chance to find and reconnect with his uncle as well…

But in the moment it was all too much to think about, aside from the dilemma he was currently in. He groans and lays back down, covering his face with a pillow. 

***

The makeshift fusuma wall slides open and out walks a young bald boy with a noticeable birthmark on his forehead, accompanied by two older boys. The younger boy wears a big smile on his face and walks over to Suki, Sokka, Jet, and Katara. The other two boys make their way out the door, being done with practice.

“ See ya later Duke and Longshot!” the bald boy yells after them.

“Later, Aang!” “See ya!” They yell back. 

_Duke and Longshot... interesting nicknames_ , Katara notes. 

“Hey Suki! That was a lot of fun! I think I’m going to be placed in one of the advanced classes!” Aang tells the girl. 

“That’s great, Aang!” Suki answers, returning the smile.

“Who are you guys?” The boy asks, pointing to Katara and Sokka.

“Oh, hi! My name is Katara and this is my brother, Sokka. We’re new to the area and wanted to check this place out!” Katara bows quickly to the young boy. Sokka bows down as well and looks the boy in the eye, “Nice to meet you..”.

“I’m Aang! I’m new here too! But I start training officially tomorrow in the advanced class!” He flashes them a grin. 

The siblings look at each other.

“What class do I get to be in?” Sokka asks.

“Beginner” Everyone else answered simultaneously. 

***

“So...Katara was it?” Aang starts, intending to make conversation. “What brings you to martial arts? Have you always wanted to train, or is it something you recently picked up like I did?”. 

“Well.. being honest, I just kinda followed Sokka here, but now I’m interested in starting too!” Katara says shruggingly

“That’s cool, we’re all starting together!”. Aang looks down at his watch. “Oh, I gotta go, Appa’s waiting for me to give him food! Talk to you later Katara”. He runs off, yelling back “Nice to meet you Sokka, see you later, Suki and Jet! ”

“Gee that kid sure has a lot of energy” Sokka remarks.

“Tell me about it,” Suki says and laughs. “Let’s get you guys signed up for your classes, shall we?”. She hands them a piece of paper with all the available information on beginner classes. 

Sokka decides that he wants to give Tae Kwon Do a try and checks that one down, before handing it over to Katara.

“That’s my area of expertise” Suki tells him “I guess we’ll be working a lot together”. 

“Oh great, I get to be thrown around by you some more”. He rolls his eyes but smiles at Suki, which made her slightly blush.

Katara looks over the flyer unsure of what to chose “Well..I guess I’ll go with the Ai- Aikido? That one sounds interesting. It says you get to fight your opponent by using their own strength against them. I like it.. It's like reverse psychology, but in motion”. 

Jet walks over to her side “I started out training in Aikido, when I first started here. If you want, I can give you some pointers”.

“Sure, only if you don't mind..I’m new to this whole martial arts thing” Katara smiles back at him. 

In that moment, three older men walk out from behind them- they had come out of the back entrance.

“Well, well..we have more new students, I see”. They stand behind them, hands clasped together underneath the sleeves of their _Judogis._

Suki takes the lead in introducing them. “Sokka, Katara- these are three of our masters in the dojo, Piandao Sensei, Bumi Sensei and Mushi Sensei. Piandao sensei leads our Tae Kwon Do classes” she points to the younger of the three, who has darker toned skin and shows no signs of gray in his dark hair.

“ Bumi Sensei leads over Kung Fu,” she pointed this time to the oldest of the three, a man with almost a completely bald head and crooked smile.

The siblings were shocked at the fact that he taught the arts despite his age. 

“ and Mushi Sensei leads Karate- and is also the owner of the dojo!” She gestures towards the stout older man with a beard who was smiling. The three of them bow to the students

The siblings take a deep bow to the masters, a revered sign of respect for them. “We do have a couple more masters, but they must have been on leave,” Jet says to them. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you senseis” Sokka said to them, while Katara nods. “We have a lot to learn from you”.

“The pleasure is ours, kids. We enjoy having more and more students to train” Piandao Sensei says to them, even as his expression was more stern than welcoming. 

“We are actually going to enjoy some ramen right now, do the new students care to join us?” Bumi Sensei asks them.

“Why yes of course! I own a ramen shop right next door!” The man called Mushi Sensei smiles at them invitingly. 

“It’s true! Lee’s Ramen is the best ramen i’ve ever had- almost as if it was made by Fire Nation chefs themselves” Suki adds.

This time, it's Katara’s turn to check her watch. “We’d love to, but I think it would be best if we head back home, Gran Gran will be worried about us” She looks over at Sokka. 

“Oh, Katara can’t we just stay and try the Ramen? Why do you have to ruin everything all the time?” Sokka complains, pouting and looking at his sister. “NO. Sokka we have to go. Thank you all for today, it was nice getting to know you- all of you!” She looks over at The masters, then over to Jet and Suki

The siblings start heading out the door, and Suki calls out and waved “Bye, see you next week”.

“Bye guys!” Jet calls out, and looks over to Katara.

“Later Suki!...and Jet” Sokka waves back.

***

Zuko walks out the back of the house to the garden. He had Song contact Jin moments earlier and she had agreed to the plan, so the only thing left to do... was _leave._

He crosses the arched drum bridge leading to the koi pond, and there he sits under the wisteria trees and looks into the water. He was already feeling down, but the memories of the garden, of his childhood, of _his mother-_ consume him in a melancholic emptiness. 

He looks at his reflection in the water and baby ducks swim near him and the water ripples, sending fragments of lily pads floating away.

He reaches a hand out, feeding one of them a biscuit.

Zuko takes a deep breath. and makes eye contact with his reflection.

“I’m sorry mother- I let you down too”. 

He takes off his backpack that he was wearing and unzips it.

He reached towards the bottom of the trunk of the tree and from under a rock, takes a small black box which has the words “Made in the Earth Kingdom” engraved in gold, and stuffs it in his backpack.

“I promised you I would be good- and I’m trying. But, my good isn’t good enough yet.”

There were tears pooling in his eyes “I promise you know, I will return a changed and better man- if it's the last thing I do.” 

He stands up and leaves the garden through the gate, looking back one last time at the memories he will leave..and never return to the same. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay...I know I made this chapter (especially the zuko parts) super dramatic, but that's because I was watching a drama while writing this..
> 
> I also tried to incorporate more culture such as karate terms for blackbelts and teachers, as well as traditional clothing. I tried to hint at some things, but again, I'm not a super great writer so if you see repetition for emphasis in the coming chapters, no you didn't <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this far!! I wanted to point out that I am going to be drawing inspiration from a variety of sources for this story, and if you recognize any of them let me know!! I have also drawn inspiration and taken the liberty to do research on the cultures the original characters were based oof of such as the traditional foods, clothing as customs. Also a shoutout to my roomate, Rion.. who probably won't see this but who has helped me draw inspiration from Japanese culture as well! Please feel free to leave comments/ tips/ suggestions!


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